The Maize Maze Exploration
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: Sheldon and Amy visit a corn maze.


After a long week of tolerating insufferable colleagues, Sheldon was ready for a weekend of relaxation with his wife. "Perhaps we can take in a movie," he suggested.

"We always go to the movies. I'd like to do something different, something we haven't tried before "

Sheldon frowned. He enjoyed activities he was familiar with. "What do you have in mind?"

Amy flipped open her laptop and set it on his lap. "There's a corn maze just outside of the LA area, the largest in the country…"

"Absolutely not. I wouldn't go even if someone offered me a considerable grant to study dark matter."

"Come on, Sheldon. It will be fun."

"Your definition of fun is very different than mine. Muddy fields filled with scratchy, dried corn stalks infested with mice sounds like hell."

"Mice are more scared of humans than humans are of mice," she reasoned.

Sheldon's mouth set in a hard line. "Nothing and no one can drag me into a cornfield."

Amy tried a different tactic. "You've always been a fan of labyrinths. A maze is like a labyrinth."

"It is not. A maze is a puzzle with different paths and directions, usually containing several deadends and multiple entries and exits. A labyrinth has one single path that leads to the center with only one entry/exit point."

"I don't need a lecture, Sheldon. I really want to do this. It will be an adventure." She scrolled through the page, resting on an aerial view of the maze. "I think when you see the theme you might change your mind."

He squinted at the picture. "What is it?"

Amy drew his attention to the accompanying text. "They cut it in the shape of a Star Trek spaceship."

"Which one? The Enterprise, The Discovery, The Defiant, Voyager…"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not, but I would prefer to walk through the chambers of the The Enterprise."

"You're in luck."

"Very well. Tomorrow afternoon we will explore this ship. My only stipulation is that we must dress the part. Will you be the Nurse Chapel to my Spock?"

"If that's what it takes to spark your enthusiasm, I'm in!"

xxx

The weather was perfect for their outing. Not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was comfortable. Hand in hand, dressed in their Star Trek costumes, they stopped at the little wooden ticket booth just outside the field. The woman in the booth gave them a thumbs up and complimented them on their outfits.

While Amy chatted with her, Sheldon surveyed their surroundings. His main focus was on the dried corn stalks standing just out of reach. Thinking of the creatures that awaited among the leaves, he shuddered. The owner got his attention when she handed his wife a map.

"The entrance is just to the right. The maze has three exits." The woman indicated each with the tip of a pen. "Take all the time you need exploring."

"What are these?" Amy asked, referring to a stack of business-sized cards on the table.

"It's kind of like a passport. There are ten stations within the maze, each with a different shaped hole punch. They're not listed on the map for obvious reasons. Feel free to take one if you want to add a little extra adventure. The kids love it, especially the prizes you win if you hand in your completed card at the end."

Amy picked up a card. "Thank you. I'm really excited about this." She turned to him, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go!"

Sheldon wasn't interested in punch cards or prizes. All he cared about was finding the quickest way out. "Hold on." He studied the map, already plotting their route.

"I want to see the actual maze, not just a picture of it."

"In a minute. I'm saving the image to my memory."

"Why?"

"The pattern is very intricate with many dead ends. By studying it, I'll locate the shortest route."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

"Do you want to get lost in there? The maze is 30 acres. We could be trapped for hours."

"I'm a city girl, Sheldon. I have no idea how much land 30 acres covers."

"A football field is 1.32 acres. Don't ask me how I know that," he muttered. "The maze is 22.72727272 times as big."

"Okay, so it's large, but we knew that before we even got here. Are you having second thoughts?"

He was. Even the lure of Star Trek wasn't enough to keep him interested. Once inside the maze, it would just be a series of twists and turns and look nothing like a ship. If he was with anyone else, he would have demanded to go home, but Amy was so excited. It was all she could talk about from the moment they woke up. He wasn't going to disappoint the most important person in his life. "We need to go now if we want to get out before sundown."

Stepping foot into the maze, Sheldon suppressed the urge to run to the car. It was even worse than he expected. Dust assaulted his nose and insects covered the leaves. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but he'd been so apprehensive about mice that he hadn't even considered the likelihood of beetles, flies, and other tiny winged critters.

The narrow path branched off in three different directions. His 6 foot 1 frame was no match for the dried stalks towering over his head. Unable to see what lay ahead of them, he consulted the map. Amy turned to the left, but he halted her midstep. "The quickest route begins with us turning right."

"The quickest route doesn't interest me. Don't you want to complete the punch card?"

"If the card came equipped with a punch, my need for closure would compel me to finish the quest. However, a blank card holds no power over me."

"Spoilsport." They turned right, but when they reached a fork in the path, Amy stood her ground against him when he said they needed to they turn left. "This is supposed to be fun. If you insist on following the map, I may need to do this alone."

"Amy, wait!" He called, as she spun on her heel. Squeezing between her and the corn stalks, he tipped her chin up. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't hinder you from choosing our path. To prove it, here's the map."

She folded it over and over until it was a tiny square then stuffed it into her pocket. "Thank you."

Sheldon smiled and offered his hand. Ignoring the vegetation dust and farm smells, he concentrated on the feel of her fingers and even smiled when Amy's eyes lit up upon finding their first station. The sound of the punch tearing through the card was actually satisfying.

As they wandered through the maze, passing life-size cardboard cutouts of Star Trek characters, it began feeling like a real quest. Captain Kirk welcomed them at the second station, and Uhura lured them to a dead end. In his Spock costume, he almost felt like he was actually aboard the Enterprise. Amy played along, greeting the crew members.

Watching his wife role play a character from one of his favorite shows reminded him of the time she dressed this way in the hopes that his feelings for her would increase. He loved her no matter what she wore, but something about that costume got his motor running. Passing through a particularly narrow section, he fell in line behind her to watch her hips sway.

To make things even more interesting, they made a game out of who could find the most punch stations. Sheldon was surprised at how competitive his wife was. This was nothing like their chess matches, where she half-heartedly moved her pieces around the board.

Time lost all meaning until the sky began to darken. By then, they found two of the three exits and had one punch left. Amy was in the lead with five punches. At best, they would tie. At worst, she would win, and he would be forced to participate in whatever activity she chose to do the following weekend.

And then he saw it. Hoping to distract her, he leaned over and caught her lips with his. Her squeal of surprise morphed into a low moan. Moving as naturally as possible, he backed her into a corner. Ignoring the desire building in him, he waited for the right moment to race to the station. Her moans grew louder, and her fingers tangled in his hair. This would be trickier than he thought.

Amy pulled her lips away. "The leaves are scratching my neck."

"My apologies." Sheldon took a step back to give her some room. Suddenly, her fingers freed themselves, and she skirted around him, claiming victory on the last punch.

"I win!" She shouted, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Vixen! You knew it was there all along, didn't you?"

Amy twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "Maybe. Are you going to punish me?"

Sheldon licked his lips. He would punish her all right. Closing the gap, his lips descended on hers. This kiss was much more fervent than the first, with no hidden agenda. Reluctantly, he pulled away.

Chest heaving, she panted, "Why did you stop?"

He swatted her bottom playfully. "A corn maze is no place for intimate activities. That was just a small sample of what's to come."

The punch card forgotten, they located the nearest exit. Soon they would embark on a very different type of quest.


End file.
